Assessing Deterrence: Understanding Adversary Behaviour and Their Perception of our Behaviour
Speaker: Ambassador Catherine Royle (NATO, Joint Force Command Brunssum) Date: 8 April 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Ambassador Catherine Royle (NATO, Joint Force Command Brunssum) and Stuart Smith (NATO, Joint Force Command Brunssum) as part of its SMA SDF Speaker Series. For Western allies to properly deter unwanted Russian actions, […]
Continue ReadingChina’s Views on Escalation and Crisis Management and Implications for the United States
Speaker: Lyle J. Morris (Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute) Date: 26 March 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Lyle J. Morris (Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute) as part of its SMA INDOPACOM Speaker Series. Mr. Morris emphasized that China perceives tensions […]
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Incorporating EMS Contestation in Strategic-Level Wargames
Speaker: Dr. Ross Buchanan (Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Date: 11 February 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Ross Buchanan (Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) as part of its SMA General Speaker Series. Electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) contestation occurs when two […]
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Understanding and Countering China’s Maritime Gray Zone Operations
Speakers: Dr. Todd Helmus & Dr. Krista Romita Grocholski (RAND) Date: 30 January 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. Todd Helmus (RAND) and Dr. Krista Romita Grocholski (RAND) as part of its SMA INDOPACOM Speaker Series. China is seeking to assert control over and advance its interests in large portions […]
Continue ReadingRussian Subversion, Coercion, and Sabotage throughout Europe
Speaker: Bojan Pancevski (Wall Street Journal) with Guest Host Jack Gaines (One CA Podcast) Date: 24 January 2025 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Bojan Pancevski (Wall Street Journal) with Guest Host Jack Gaines (One CA Podcast) as part of its SMA EUCOM Speaker Series. Russian aggression below the threshold of warfare […]
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Escalation Management in the Early Stages of International Crisis
Authors: Dr. Kyle Beardsley (Duke University), Dr. Jonathan Wilkenfeld (START University of Maryland), & Phuong Pham (Duke University) This publication was released as part of the SMA project “21st Century Strategic Deterrence Frameworks.” (SDF) For more information regarding this project, please click here. Publication Preview: This report evaluates how crisis actors respond to adversary actions […]
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Strategic Culture – A Complex Model for a Complex Concept
Speaker: Dr. Larry Kuznar (NSI, Inc.) Date: 19 November 2024 Speaker Session Summary In recent years, strategic culture has regained attention as US policymakers work to integrate deterrence strategies with allies and partners while understanding the strategic cultures of adversaries, like China and Russia. Dr. Kuznar explored the components of an actor’s strategic culture, how […]
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The CCP-ification of Pacific Islands: What it Means for U.S. Strategy and What Can Be Done
Speaker: Cleo Paskal (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies) Date: 8 October 2024 Speaker Session Summary China is expanding its influence in many Asia-Pacific countries by offering economic incentives and other forms of “good will,” which Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members use to fosters political corruption. This political corruption allows the CCP to build political […]
Continue ReadingUkrainian Resistance to Russian Disinformation: Lessons for Future Conflict
Speaker: Todd Helmus and Khrystyna Holynska (RAND) Date: 19 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary A key element of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion has been its ability to counter Russian disinformation. In their recent report for RAND, Dr. Helmus and Dr. Holynska discuss Ukraine’s approach to combating disinformation and the lessons that the United […]
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The Defender’s Dilemma: Why countering grayzone aggression is so difficult (and what options Western governments do have)
Speaker: Elisabeth Braw (Atlantic Council) Date: 5 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary: Western governments, including the United States, face significant challenges in identifying gray zone aggression. This form of aggression is often difficult to detect before the attack is fully underway, as it can originate from any source at any time. A key characteristic of […]
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